Reaping-machine.



' Patented May 27, I902. J. F. APPLEBY.

REAPING MACHINE.

(Application filed June 1, 1899.)

s Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

No. 70|,25|. Patented May 27. I902.

J. F. APPLEBY.

REAPING MACHINE.

(Applicabion filed June 1, 1899.)

(N0 Modem 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

JOHN F. APPLEBY, OF OHIOAGQILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE HARVESTER KINGCOMPANY, OF HARVEY, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

REAPING -MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 701,251, dated May 27,1902.

Application filed June 1, 1899. Serial No. 718,982. (No model.)

To a whom, it vim-y concern.-

Be it known that I,JOHN F.APPLEBY,of Chicago, in the county of Cook andState of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful 5ImprovemeutsiuReaping-Machines,of\vhicl1 the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in reaping-machines, andis adapted to both reapers and harvesters, but more parno ticularly toself-binding harvesters, in which, by reason of certain necessaryarrangements of the binding mechauism,the draft-pole must be placed incertain positions, and which machines are so heavy that this dispositionof [5 the draft-pole or tongue results in side draft.

The object of the invention is to overcome the side draft in machines ofthis character; and it consists, generally stated, in the employment ofa ground-wheel mounted at the rear end of the tongue and adapted notonly to take the weight from the necks of the draftanimals, but also toovercome side draft, while permitting the machine to be steered so as toalways out a full swath.

25 The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which--Figure 1 is a perspective View taken from the front of the machine. Fig.2 is a side elevation showing the grou nd-wheel,a reach connectin g thelatter with the frame, and the rear end of the tongue, part of which isbroken away. Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly in section, of the reach andits braces.

I-Ieretofore in machines of this class the tongue has been pivoteddirectly to the main frame or to some part rigidlyconnected with themain frame. Instead ofthis arrangement I employ a reach A, which ispivoted to lugs B on the main frame and is also provided with suitablebraces O D, the latter being pivt ally connected to the main frame andextending diagonally to the tongue, being bolted at its junctiontherewith. The usual adjustingrod E, with its operating-lever F andratchet 5 f, is applied to the reach instead of to the tongue. At itsforward end the reach is provided with the straps a, perforated toreceive the cylindrical shank G of the ground-wheel I. The end of theshank G is socketed to receive the line-post II, which is held in thesocket by the pin 71.. The shank G has the furcations or yoke H. To thelatter-are pivoted, by a horizontal pivot J, the tongue-irons K, thelatter being bolted to the tongue L. The ground-Wheel I is of thecaster-wheel type, having a rim of such configuration as to prevent itfrom sliding or slipping laterally and to enable it to turn readily tofollow the pull of the draft-animals exerted through the tongue. Theshank of the ground-wheel may terminate above the strap a, and it may bemounted in a variety of ways. I have shown the stem II extended andprovided with a loop at its top, through which the lines of the harnessmay be passed.

The ground-wheel performs several desirable functions. In the firstplace, it takes off all weight from the horses necks, except that ofthetongue itself. In the older construction While the tongue was usuallypivoted to the main frame it was also rigidly connected therewith bymeans of the tilting lever and its rigid connecting-rod. Therefore thepitching or rocking of the frame and at times a considerable portion ofthe weight was thrown upon the necks of the draft-animals. This weightwas not only the vertical Weight, but the lurching of the machinelaterally was likewise transmitted through the draft-tougue to thedraft-animals, resulting not only in dis- 8o comfort to the animals, butin sore necks and the rubbing of the shoulders, &c. A more importantresult, however, due to the use of the'ground-wheel is that itelfectually prevents side draft. Any tendency of the machine to run intothe grain is overcome by the bearing of the ground-wheel upon the eartha considerable distance in advance of the machine. I findit moreadvantageous to place the ground-wheel Well in front of the machine, andit is for this reason that I employ the reach A, although said reachmight be shorter, and, in fact, omitted, the ground-Wheel being simplypivoted to the frame of the machine and the tongue hinged thereto.

A further advantage in the. use of the ground-wheel is that it rendersthe steering or guiding of the machine easy, since it affords a rollingfulcrum easily shifted'and responding to the pull of the draft-animalsupon 1 co weight of the machine must be shifted, turning upon its mainground-wheel and the grainwheel at the outer end of the platform. Again,by reason of the fact that the machine is thus placed under easy andbetter control and the pulling strains reduced, the danger of breakingthe tongue and its connections is largely overcome and the tongue itselfmay be considerably reduced in size, and consequently the draft-animalsrelieved from a part of the weight.

There is at the present time a demand for machines, both in harvestersand mowers, which will cut a wide swath. The lengthening of thecutter-bar tends toproduce side draft, and when an extreme length ofcutterbar is employedsay, seven or eight feetthe side draft is variedconsiderably. By my arrangement, the steering-wheel being placed at aconsiderable distance in advance of the frame of the machine and havinga positive engagement with the surface of the ground, the side draft iseffectually overcome. It will be observed also that the tongue is hingeddirectly to the yoke of the steering-wheel, and thus the steering-wheelbeing directly connected with the tongue and guided by it is readilycontrolled or shifted. The tongue is preferably hinged to the yokebetween the axle of the steeringwheel and the point where it is pivotedto the reach for the reason that the pulling strain upon the reach andthe strains upon the rim of the wheel are thus practically offset orcounterbalanced. By the employment of the reach the whiffietrees andstem of the steering-wheel are placed beyond the path of the reel.

I am aware that a truck has been employed to carry the forward end ofthe frame of a harvesting-machine, such truck being provided with twowheels turning upon the vertical pivot in the truck. This construction,however, was not satisfactory and its use has been discontinued. I amalso aware that harvesting-machines have been used in which the tonguehas been hinged to a reach, so as to have an up-and-down movement with acas tor-Wheel applied at or near the junction of the reach and thetongue, such caster-wheel being free to turn or to shift to follow themovements of the machine. Such construction,however,is radicallydifferent from mine, because in that case the caster-wheel simplyrelieves the draft-animals from a part of the vertical Weight, but didnot in any sense act as a steering-wheel for the machine. So far as I amaware, I am the first to employ a steering-wheel to which the tongue ishinged, so that the steering-wheel follows the movements of the tongue,and thereby controls the line of movement of the machine itself, whileat the same time relieving the draft-animals from weight and shocks andpreventing the side draft. The method of bracing is also important inthis construction. The tendency of sidedraft acting upon thesteering-wheel would be to tip or tilt the steering-wheel sidewise, thusimposing a considerable torsional or twisting strain upon the reach.This torsional strain would necessarily exert the greatest force at thejoint between the reach and the frame of the machine, and unless apeculiar system of bracing is employed this joint would have to be madeextremely heavy and would not, even if made heavy, be perfectly reliableand steady. To overcome the torsional strains upon the reach, I employthe diagonal brace D, which is connected to the reach-wheel forward ofthe .rim of the machine and is hinged or pivotally connected to thelatter at a considerable distance laterally from the joint. Thetransverse brace C is then arranged substantially parallel to themachine-frame and acts as a truss between the diagonal brace and thereach itself, being placed near to 'but in front of the hinged joint andof the pivotal connection of the brace. This bracing therefore makes thestructure exceedingly rigid and tends to minimize any rocking ortwisting of the reach and to render unnecessary any extremely accuratefitting of the parts of the hinged joint.

Without limiting myinvention to the precise details of construction-orcombination of parts nor to the specified uses, I claim- In areaping-machine, the combination with the main frame of a reachconnected to the forward edge of the main frame by a horizontal pivot, aground-wheel connected to the forward end of the reach by avertically-arranged stem mounted to turn in suitable bearings and havingfurcations embracing the ground-wheel, and a draft-tongue pivoted tosaid furcations by horizontal pivots, substantially as' described.

JOHN F. APPLEBY.

Witnesses:

FREDERICK C. GOODWIN, E. L. HUBER.

